The Search
by MikeRedJurassic10
Summary: (DISCONTINUED) It has been two years since the Reach's defeat and Superboy's deception. Superman has disappeared, no traces left behind. The League struggles to maintain peace on Earth as the entire universe searches for the Man of Steel, while a new weapon becomes a major threat. The Team goes to find Superman before others get to him first. Will they find him in time?
1. A New Weapon

_**If you read 'The Awakening', then you shouldn't have a problem reading this story. :)**_

 _ **If not, I recommend you read 'The Awakening' before this.**_

 _ **More from me at the end.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**_

…

 _ **Chapter 1: A New Weapon**_

…

 _ **Orbit of Daxam, 2018**_

 _So much could go the alternate direction,_ Mongul thought, but in the moment before action – in the instant when both triumph and defeat remained possible to any standard – the galaxy before him still seemed wondrous.

He observed the evacuation of the planet Daxam, home to the Daxamites, somewhat similar to the almost–extinct Kryptonian race, on dozen's of view screens across his War World control room. From the smaller spacecraft, personal shuttles of high ranking Apokoliptian officers and transports of specialized Parademon units he viewed, he realized his friend, the Tyrant ruler of Apokolips, was preparing to dominate the universe. The Apokoliptian battleship _Heggra_ , once stationed above the capital of Daxam, had already repositioned itself to a safe distance from the capital. Despite protests of the local garrison commanders, the forces of Daxam would not be safe from what was to come.

Daxam was a planet that had been a victim twice during the 20th century. The first was during the Imperiex War, as Daxam was besieged by dozens of Imperiex Probes, whom were responsible for killing hundreds of innocent Daxamites. The Earth heroes known as the Justice Society of America, as well as a full complement of reserves, traveled to Daxam and liberated the planet without suffering a single casualty. However, in the many years that followed, Daxam was taken over by Mongul himself, which is why he was here, overseeing the official occupation of the planet under Apokoliptian rule. And with it's space blockade protecting the capital, the Daxamites were truly desperate.

One of the Parademon officers on board the War World gave Mongul a number on the Daxam forces, 93%. Mongul amended the thought, 93% of Daxam's assigned military forces to the capital would be safe.

But for Mongul, that would suffice. Daxam was weak. A 7% loss in return for total victory would still win him a more trustful friendship and alliance with Darkseid.

"It's past time, Mongul," the hypocritical voice came from War World's brand new shipping dock.

Mongul pivoted and made a quick, _respectful_ smile at Steppenwolf, Darkseid's second–in–command and military leader of Apokolips, as he eyed the work of his parademon engineers. "I could not agree more," Mongul said, and inclined his head, "But under the circumstances as of today, it seems only respectful to await your nephew's command."

"My nephew is awaiting _my_ report," Steppenwolf retorted, "Making your War World into a large moving battlestation equipped with Mother Box technology and a massive cannon that could destroy, I hope, almost anything in its path required the labour of the many."

"Remember, that idea was from me," Mongul's smile faded only a touch as he cleared his throat, "One had hoped that he and his new _apprentice_ might have been here for such an occasion."

"Never you mind the Kryptonian under the training of my nephew," Steppenwolf's voice was laced with irritation and exasperation, "Here I was thinking that it would be prudent to save you from any… _potential embarrassment_."

Mongul chuckled, " _My embarrassment?_ Or _yours?_ Believing Darkseid's new apprentice may… _take your place?_ "

Steppenwolf's objective was transparent: The Apokoliptian believes (with typical magnificent certainty) that a demonstration on Daxam would diminish, rather than enhance, Mongul's reputation. Yet _why_ remained an open question. Mongul has turned up with no evidence of sabotage; nor had his contacts close to Steppenwolf revealed anything of use that regarded the military commander's plot. And while Steppenwolf's contempt for Mongul was supreme, he would surely have arranged for Darkseid to bear witness if he assumed Mongul's 'incompetence' would result in the War World's new weapon's failure.

No. The most likely of possibilities was that Mongul's precautions against any sabotage or failure had been shaking Steppenwolf's confidence. He was now hedging on his bets. If Mongul succeeded in commanding a portion of Apokolips' army to annihilate Daxam's military forces, Steppenwolf himself would selfishly attempt to take credit in the eyes of Darkseid, to keep the _apprentice_ from taking his place. If Mongul were to fail, all the better.

But Mongul would not fail. Failure was not an option, it never was an option to begin with. The new weapon was ready. Once Daxam's capital was destroyed, he would finally receive a private audience with his Darkseid, his friend – and that he was confident he could persuade him that it was he, not Steppenwolf, who deserved the accolades.

It even happened to be true.

"Your concern is barely even warranted," Mongul said, "Your finest scientists and engineers have dedicated their very own lives to this project. You should not find _our_ faith in them misplaced."

"If saying it would only make it so," Steppenwolf murmured, just loud enough for the engineers to hear him.

Mongul could barely withhold a snarl, "All Apokoliptian forces," he announced, striding along the command stations, "have been evacuated, and here I stand ready to destroy the _entire_ planet." The parademon officers assigned to Mongul's War World faced him, uniformly at attention; the scientists, technicians and engineers slowed but did not cease their work, as Mongul had instructed earlier.

"What we do today was once inconceivable – a _scientific heresy_. Yet your planet and Leader have ensured our success and granted us the moral authority to take this step toward _peace._ The destruction of a world – " Mongul stopped at the sound of a hurried applause from Steppenwolf.

"Very inspiring, Mongul," he said, "But the destruction of a world is not necessary as of now. We need a _statement_ , not a _manifesto_."

Mongul's smile twisted quickly into a grimace and asked, "Then what do you suggest?"

Steppenwolf shrugged, "Daxam's sacred capital will be enough for today. Besides, my nephew has other plans to attend to."

"Which are?"

"The hunt for the _father_ of the apprentice. This… _Superman_."

Mongul chuckled, "Ah, yes. The entire universe searches for him."

"Indeed," Steppenwolf replied, "Now prepare your weapon, we haven't all day."

Mongul clenched his fists, wishing he could beat Steppenwolf senseless and call it a tragic accident. The military commander was hedging against both success _and_ failure, ensuring that even a perfect performance from him would be unspectacular at best.

Could he subvert Steppenwolf's orders? Arrange the destruction of Daxam regardless and claim that the new weapon's sheer power had been unanticipated? He glanced from a control console to Steppenwolf and back.

Not with him _watching_. Not on short notice. Another time, perhaps. He would definitely find another way.

"Target Daxam's capital," he snapped, "Prepare for a single reactor ignition."

Mongul concealed his resentment, calming himself with the sounds of his breath and the tidal rush of the War World's reactor. This wasn't how he'd imagined the culmination of a less-than-a year's work – a diminished attack, a military commander's power play – but it was the reality he contended with.

"Fire when ready." His voice was strong and steady. He had earned more pride to himself, no matter any outcome.

…

 _ **Daxam Prison (500 miles away from Daxam Capital)**_

Nightwing was glad he was able to breath in Daxam. But he hated Aqualad for sending him and some others from Alpha squad on this mission to retrieve this Daxamite. Why _this_ team? _This_ was Alpha squad? Why not have someone like Wonder Girl, Miss M or Supergirl at the very least? Why not even Aqualad himself? Why _them_? They didn't even know who this _Lar-Gand_ person looked like. Now they was stuck there, stripped from their outfits, with no communications, with a crashed ship and put in prison for intruding Daxam's airspace.

But he was always one step ahead. Or so he thought, this time. He'd tested the cell door's locking mechanism while the prison guards were busy gambling. He'd feigned fatigue, leaning against the dorr's bards so he could inspect the lock visually and see if there was a brand by any chance. Brand? He certainly wouldn't know any. Heck, none at all. If this was a prison back on Earth, he guessed he could escape the cell in under three minutes or maybe less. But here, it seemed like it would take days, or months… maybe years. As soon as the guards were gone, anyway.

But the guards weren't moving, and now he was stuck with two thoughts he had literally no desire to dwell upon:

Had this all been worth it? Travelling from Earth to Daxam to retrieve someone they don't even know? Even against the odds in saving him and getting out from the threat of this _War World?_

And where was Spoiler?

"HEY!" Nightwing banged the the cell door's bars with his palms, "It wouldn't be so bad if you let us out!"

The guards didn't listen and continued playing. Nightwing growled and started banging the bars once again, louder this time.

"Dude," Wally called out, slouching on his prison cell left to Dick's, "The more you do that, they're not gonna let you out."

"Wally!" Dick stopped banging and moved to the wall that faced the speedster's cell, "Why don't you try phasing through the bars?"

"I'm out of juice," he said tiredly, "Haven't you tried telling them why we're here?"

"And you'd think they'd listen?" Dick retorted irritatedly.

Wally thought for a moment, "Mal, have you tried barging out your cell door?"

Dick groaned.

"This ain't earth, West," Mal replied. His cell was right to Dick's and was shared with Damian, This ain't metal that I can bend."

"Damian?" Dick called out.

No response.

Dick groaned. He sat back down on his cell bed, looking at the surprisingly clean floor. This was the best prison he had ever seen. And probably his last. After a few minutes, the guards left for their lunch break.

"Hey, who's the guy in the cell next to you?" Damian asked Wally, breaking the silence. Dick tore his eyes from the floor and stood up, glancing over to Damian. It was the first time the fifth Robin had spoken for almost two hours.

There was a man in the cell next to Wally's.

Mal grunted and shuffled back up to his feet. "Who?"

"This guy," Wally stood near the small opening where he could see this man, "He's a Daxamite."

"What does he look like?" Dick asked.

"Strong build and he looks our age." Wally examined, "And he… looks pretty… still."

"Is he dead?" Damian had to ask.

"No, he's breathing fine. It's like he's… meditating."

Dick sighed and thought to himself before speaking, "Wally, we don't have enough time. Ask him."

"What?"

"You know what I mean," he replied, "Check if he's the one we're looking for."

"Okay," Wally breathed and crouched at the bars, "Excuse me?"

The Daxamite slowly opened his mind and look at Wally, "Yes?"

"What's your name?"

A snort came from the Daxamite, "And why should I tell you, _human_?"

Wally tilted his head to the side, "Actually, I'm a _metahuman_."

The Daxamite squinted his eyes in confusion.

Wally made a high-pitched hysterical laugh, "Nevermind, listen. We were sent here to retrieve a fellow Daxamite like you because we received a transmission from Earth."

The Daxamite nodded, "Hmm. And who is this Daxamite? Do I know him? Or is it a her?"

"It's a _him_."

"Name?"

"Lar Gand."

The Daxamites head bumped upwards, "Lar Gand, huh?"

Dick spoke this time, "Yeah! You know him?"

He nodded, "I _know_ him. Because I _am_ him."

"You're Lar Gand?"

Lar Gand nodded, "Yeah, that's me."

 _Oh, thank God!_ Wally praised in his thoughts. Damian and Mal fist bumped.

"Why the hell are you in here?" Wally asked.

"No time to explain," Lar Gand replied, "First, we gotta get out of this place, find a ship, and leave before things turn for the worse."

"First of all, do you even know how to get out of here?"

"I've been here for almost a week now," Lar Gand explained, "I studied the in's and out's of the prison."

"That sounds really cool," Mal was impressed, "So how do we start?"

"Wait for the guards to come back and we make a diversion."

…

 _ **Ten minutes later…**_

With the guards back, the boys were ready to create their diversion, which felt really stupid to begin with; pretend they were all feeling pain so the guards would open the cell doors and take them to see the prison doctor.

Then a female guard came in with blonde hair yet wore a mask that covered her mouth and nose. The boys knew who she was, and they were glad to see her.

"The warden would like to re-locate these prisoners." She ordered for her friends to be released.

The guards looked at each other confused. One guard spoke and chuckled slightly, "But… the warden specifically said these prisoners stay here."

"And you question the warden's commands?"

"No, not at all." A second spoke quicker than light. The other guards got up to their feet and opened the cell doors with cuffs on one hand. But in an instant, the female guard nudged her head as a signal, and the guys quickly barraged the guards with punches before knock out.

"You truly are a sight for sore eyes, Spoiler." Wally complimented.

Spoiler smiled behind her mask before bringing it down, "Thank you. Look, we haven't got much time."

"Hey, we're forgetting someone," Damian gestured his hand towards Lar Gand.

"Who's he?" Spoiler asked.

"I'm Lar Gand." He said himself.

"Oh! You're the guy we're looking for!" Spoiler said with such enthusiasm.

"Stephanie! There's no time to socialize!" Wally exclaimed, " _War World_ up in Daxam's orbit!?"

"Yes, right. Sorry," Spoiler gets out a Prison Guard I.D and unlocks Lar Gand's door, "Now get dressed in those uniforms. I know where your real outfits are."

"Great, but how about a ship?" Dick asked putting on the guard uniform.

"I'll get ourselves a ship," Lar Gand volunteered, "Just be ready by then."

…

 _ **War World**_

Mongul paced slowly on the overbridge under Steppenwolf's watch, observing the technicians and referencing every step against the control protocols he'd memorized long ago. Levers were flipped, rotating focusing lenses deep within the War World's core. The engineers adjusted radiation baffles and ventilation pumps as the main reactor shook with effort and its comforting roar turned to an uncanny scream. Mongul noticed more than a few hands shaking. But the Parademon officers knew their duty. They would do everything necessary to destroy the Sacred Capital at the bidding of their commander.

 _Obedience, and skill, of course, might not be enough._

Mongul turned from the technicians to the monitor screens, saw reading gently crest as the three beams on the cannon reached minimum coherency.

From the new giant space cannon on the War World's outer shell, the beams of light and charged particles poured out into the end of the barrell. The overbridge main display blazed with red fire set against the void of space, and Mongul stepped forward, staring in awe at the conflagration. The radiance of the display impressed him, more than Steppenwolf himself.

For a moment, the burning red nexus of energy hung in the void of space. Mongul slightly tensed involuntary. This was the moment so many tests and simulations had failed him. Once, he had seen the nexus sputter and die, or expand to consume his War World itself. He had seen miscalculations under their own weight as predictions gave way to haphazard guesswork. He had seen success, too, but they gave him no confidence now.

Then the last stage was triggered: From the cannon's hole, a red burst of fire came out. It joined the laser traveling towards the capital. Carving through the Daxam space blockade, disintegrating the capital ships into fiery metal.

The atmosphere seemed to flare the capital that had been immediately struck, like the blink of an eye. Steppenwolf and Mongul both tried to imagine the incineration of the sacred capital and the ensuing shock wave that soon followed. Surely no one could imagine such a thing.

They had killed a city.

Therefore, they could kill a whole world.

…

 _ **Daxam Prison**_

The whole prison ruptured violently, making Alpha squad feel unevenly balanced.

"What the hell was that?" Mal asked, gathering his outfit and putting it in a bag, so did the others besides Spoiler.

"Military practise?" Spoiler suggested.

"No, worse," Dick said before speaking into his com-link, "Lar Gand!?"

" _I got a ship!"_ Lar Gand paused for a moment, " _Except there's a problem on the horizon."_

"What problem?"

" _There is no horizon. But on a positive note… I think I have this 'War World' your red-headed friend mentioned earlier."_

"Shit!" Wally's eyes widened as he shouted, "We gotta go, now!"

They ran. Wally still lacked anything to eat, but the adrenaline made up for it. He was running for his life, alongside his friends.

Dick felt a thrill, realizing what was coming; realizing he would return to Earth not just successful, but wildly so, with an eyewitness account of the War World itself. He had remembered seeing it back on Earth alongside the Justice League. But it did nothing and left after a matter of minutes. The world was frightened of such an event. He was frightened the most as well, more frightened than seeing Conner brutally murder Black Beetle and the Reach's ambassador and scientist.

But the thrill was arrested by the chill that worked is way down his spine and the sweat on his brows. They all stopped once they reached the entrance of the prison. They all beared witness to the giant shock wave from the distance.

"Lar Gand," he shouted, "Where the hell are you?"

" _I'll be there soon!"_ the Daxamite reassured, " _If I make it at all."_

Dick glanced sidelong at Damian, who was either inspecting or caressing his sword. _He better not turn his back on us._ It wasn't nearly fast enough, and for _too_ fast for what he wanted.

" _Alright, I'm here,"_ Lar Gand announced as a blue and red ship landed in front of them. A sleek design, fitted with laser cannons on its wings and front. Doors could open from both sides and back. The left doors opened, "Get in!"

The air grew thicker of grass mixed with dust, raking everyone's hair. Once everyone was in the cabin, Wally exclaimed, "Get us out of here! Punch it!"

The cabin doors closed shut immediately as Lar Gand turned the ship away from the incoming shock wave, pushing it to full speed and zooming away from the prison.

Dick joined him in the cockpit, strapping himself in, "You know how to fly these things?"

"Oh yeah," Lar Gand said, his voice filled with adrenaline, "Had training when I was younger."

Wally noticed the shock wave coming in. Faster. And Faster, "Uh, Dick?"

"Wally, what is it?"

"Will this ship go any faster?"

Just at that moment, the shock wave came closer, despite the speed of the ship they were on. Rubble from the sacred capital flew towards. Thankfully, Lar Gand was good enough of a pilot, as he managed to dodge all multiple objects.

"Guys, look!" Spoiler pointed at the ash cloud as she went over toward the viewpoint at the back of the ship, maintaining her balance. A giant wave of debris flew across the sky, like a monster attempting to devour its tiny prey.

Lar Gand didn't turn toward Spoiler. Maybe he hadn't heard. But the Daxamite snarled, "Come on!" as he diverted power again, urging the ship through that speck of light as oblivion raged around them. And the sky turned blue, then black.

Their ship jumped out into lightspeed, and they all laughed on the floor in weak joy, feeling tired.

They had made it out.

"Wow," Wally exclaimed, "We basically escaped a _Death Star_ like in _Rogue One_!"

Lar Gand raised an eyebrow.

…

 _ **War World**_

The War World's overbridge was dark except for the litted rows of instrumentation and the glow of the main display. Dominating the vast screen above its spectators was what remained of the sacred capital of Daxam; a stirred, whirling, fiery storm of sand and rock and glass shards. The air, ionized by the energy of the War World's cannon, flashed with lightning. At the storm's epicenter, the crater of the fire consumed city smoldered where the cannon had sublimed the outermost layer of the planet's crust.

This was not the fate Mongul had envisioned for Daxam. The War World was now designed to obliterate worlds, not to maim them. Yet Mongul wondered. If the planet would never recover from such an attack, or whether the cascading effects of a burning atmosphere and broken crust would result in a long, torturous death played across millennia.

"It's _prepossessing_ ," he murmured, breaking the minutes of near-silence on the bridge. Even Steppenwolf himself had surprisingly respected the crewmembers' shared awe as they spoke in whispers and muffled their keystrokes.

"I believe I owe you an apology, Mongul," Steppenwolf replied, "Your weapon requested exceeds all expectations."

Mongul did his best to conceal his surprise, glad the Steppenwolf's mocking attitude was wiped from his face, "And you'll tell Darkseid as much?" _Too eager._ He moderated his tone; he could afford humility if it would comfort Steppenwolf. "After all, this is _his_ triumph – the triumph of his insight and will – more than any other single beings' agendas." _There. Enough for you to save face, but not enough to deny me credit._

Steppenwolf cut the air with a dismissive gesture. "My nephew desires facts, not flattery. Your tenure on this project of _ours_ has been rife with setbacks – setbacks you have, surprisingly, overcome. I will tell him his patience with _your misadventures_ has been rewarded with a weapon that will make Apokolips bring the universe to their knees."

"You're too kind, Steppenwolf." _Patronizing bastard._ "But you express my hopes as well. We've just seen that the War World is capable of destroying a city. And what you witnessed today? That was only an _inkling_ of its destructive potential–"

The same gesture as before: a demand for silence. Smiling acidly, remorsefully, Mongul obliged.

"I will tell him what the deal was," Steppenwolf said, "That I will be taking control of the War World once the weapon was finished… effective immediately."

 _Taking control?_

Mongul curled fingers into fists and looked about the overbridge as he quelled his first and most vicious response in a long time. The Parademon Officers assigned to Mongul were not watching the confrontation; they kept themselves busy at their own stations, checking and re-checking the Cannon's status and scanning the Daxam sacred capital for any possible survivors. _Possible_. Hilarious.

That was a very small comfort.

Mongul stepped as close as he dared to Steppenwolf and snapped; his composure lost, "This weapon may be of _your_ technology. But the War World you are standing on is _MY_ achievement – not yours!" He forced his voice into a harsh hiss, "These crewmembers Darkseid had assigned to me – _loyal_ to _me._ And they are the only ones capable of operating the War World whenever I am absent."

"We'll see about this," Steppenwolf snarled, and turned to leave the overbridge to the docking bay, "We are going back to Apokolips."

…

 _ **There you have the first chapter. Yes, Lar Gand (Mon-El) is here. Damian Wayne and Spoiler as well. Because it's pretty obvious for Young Justice to have new members every few years, especially since Season 3 is coming out next year.**_

 _ **Also, if you feel like the story is similar to Rogue One, you are not wrong. But I won't copy the whole lot of it in future chapters because that's not me.**_

 _ **Please review, follow and favorite this story (if you want to, not forcing you) and let me know what you all thought.**_

 _ **Have a great day/night!**_


	2. Home

_**Welcome back.**_

 _ **More from me at the end.**_

 _ **Enjoy…**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**_

…

 _ **Chapter 2: Home**_

…

 _ **Watchtower**_

 _ **June 30, 21:55 UTC**_

 _ **2018**_

"Daxam was destroyed?"

" _The sacred capital only. But Daxam is vulnerable now with their fleet gone and most of their ground forces obliterated. Nothing we can do here, Batman."_ Nightwing spoke through his telecommunicator, " _This is bigger than we thought."_

"Is this the same War World we briefly saw two years ago?"

" _Yes."_

Batman sighed, "What about the Daxamite that I asked your Team to extract?"

" _He's here with us. Don't worry, we're on route back to Earth."_ Nightwing reassured, " _But tell Aqualad that I pick my own team next time."_

"Good luck."

" _Wait,"_ Nightwing stopped him before Batman was about to sign off. He whispered, " _Why do we need this guy?"_

"He claims that he holds some information that may help us find Superman."

" _He said that?"_

"No," Batman said honestly, "I just assumed."

" _You sure about that?"_ He asked with concern, " _What if he's lying about the information?"_

"We need all the help we can get, Dick. Earth is vulnerable without Superman because he inspires hope. Even with the Justice League still intact –"

" _The world needs Superman."_ Nightwing cut in, " _I understand. But Supergirl should be "_

"I need you to speak with Lar Gand about it," Batman cut him off, "Then report to me once you come back to Earth."

" _Understood."_ Nightwing nodded before signing off.

Batman sighed and turned on the monitors, overlooking footage of riots and increased crime rates ever since the disappearance of Superman.

"Batman." A voice called. It was a girl's. And she sounded upset.

He flung around to face Supergirl who floated towards him, "Kara. What's the matter?"

"The people of Earth," she huffed. It felt as if she was on the verge of sobbing, "They still don't trust me!"

"Most people aren't accustomed to change," Batman reassured, "They'll come around. Soon."

She laughed hysterically, "And I don't suppose telling the world I'm the cousin of their greatest protector is going to change anything?"

"Just give it time," Batman said.

She rubbed her exposed arms and calmed herself, "Okay. But I need to ask something?"

"What?"

"Do you think we'll find _him_?"

Batman sighed sadly, "We _must_."

…

 _ **Outer Space (on route to Earth)**_

 _ **June 30, 21:57 UTC**_

After their escape from death, it was tranquil aboard the Daxamite ship.

"Okay, Lar Gand," Wally called out, "I think it's time we know who you are on a personal level."

He hesitated to get out of the cockpit. But he sighed and complied, putting the ship on autopilot.

"So… you wanna know who I am, huh?"

"Yes, please." Dick said as the rest sat down to listen to his story.

"Can I at least know your names first?"

"Of course, my name's Richard Grayson, everyone calls me Dick."

Lar Gand nodded, "Okay."

"That's Wally/Kid Flash, Stephanie/Spoiler, Damian/Robin and Mal/Guardian."

"Great."

"Alright," Dick clapped his hands, "Tell us who you are."

"Okay, uh… I was… a prince."

Stephanie blinked multiple times while Wally tapped his ears, making sure he heard correctly. Damian and Mal looked at each other funny. Dick only dropped his jaw midway.

"You're… a prince?" Stephanie repeated.

" _Once_." Lar Gand confirmed uncomfortably, "Shocking, huh?"

"Well, first of all, what the hell's a prince doing in a prison cell?" Damian pointed out.

"I _was_ a prince."

"What happened?" Spoiler was curious like the rest.

Lar Gand stayed silent. His opened his mouth several times, but no sound came out until, "Well when the War World threat increased, the public demanded we attack to stand our ground. Then the king, my father, called for a pardon."

"Let me guess, big mistake?" Mal asked.

He breathed and looked down at the ground, "Yeah. Then the public got angry, influenced the police force against us, and demanding my parents to step down to face a trial… uh…"

"Are you okay?" Stephanie came up to him and comfort him.

"It's very uncomfortable to say," Lar Gand replied, "Even in prison… I couldn't stop shaking the fact my parents were executed."

He winced, while the others grimaced.

"And you in jail?" Damian was still strong enough to speak.

"Pretty much." Lar Gand sniffed, "Anything else you want to ask me?"

"One more thing," Dick stepped up, "How did you manage to contact Earth?"

"Interesting question. And a good one," Lar Gand chuckled and cleared his throat, "My mother told me to contact the _Justice League_ and that they could _help me_. So I did…"

"Yeah, but… _how_ specifically _?_ "

"Oh, right. Before I was taken away by the authorities, my mother handed me transmission coordinates and a map."

 _A map?_ "And where is this map? Do you still have it?" Dick was hopeful he said yes.

"I guess so… I should because I remember that the guards didn't inspect my clothes," Lar Gand spoke quickly as he patted his clothes.

"What did it look like? The map?" Wally walked over to Lar Gand's bag of current belongings, "Small? Medium? Large?"

"Small." The Daxamite replied quickly.

"What shape?"

"A… cuboid."

"A cuboid." Wally repeated quietly as he searched through the bag and grabbed something. He felt its shape and he kept his hopes up, "Hold on…" He took it out of the bag and presented it to Lar Gand, "Is this it?"

"Yes! That's the one!" Lar Gand clapped his hands, "I'm surprised they didn't take it away."

"I'm surprised you didn't check to see if it was still in the bag," Wally joked as he tossed it to him, "Can you open it?

"Of course I can," he said without a single thought, "So is this what the Justice League needed?"

"Seems like it." Dick shrugged.

"And if you don't mind me asking; what for?"

Alpha squad looked at each other, checking if each was to contribute in telling Lar Gand. Mal broke the silence, "Classified stuff, gotta leave it up to the Justice League to tell you."

Lar Gand felt amused, "Fair enough."

" _You have arrived at your destination."_ The ship's A.I said as the ship slowed down from its speed jump.

"I guess we're here," Stephanie said, "Home."

"It's beautiful," Lar Gand gazed in awe at the giant blue orb in front of his eyes, "Wally?

…

 _ **Watchtower**_

 _ **June 30, 22:01 UTC**_

"Welcome back," Shazam greeted his team mates before seeing Lar Gand who turned off the ship before exiting, "Hi!."

"Hello," the Daxamite smiled at him, "Lar Gand."

"Jaime Reyes or Blue Beetle if you'd like."

"Are you a member of the Justice League?"

"You bet I am!"

"Oh, Lar Gand!" Dick shouted, "Don't let his age fool you, he's actually a kid."

"No I'm not!" Shazam pouted, "I'm 17. Not a kid."

Lar Gand was confused, "I'm sorry, I don't get it."

"It's a magic thing." He explained.

"Oh." Lar Gand nodded in understanding before losing his concentration. He noticed a girl. Young like him. Blonde hair and she was very stunning, wearing a red skirt and a blue skin suit with a golden 'S' insignia on its chest area. He recognized that symbol. It was Kryptonian, "Hey, uh… Shazam?"

"Call me Billy, please," he said formally but fanboyed a short moment, "But I don't mind you calling me Shazam. Don't mind at all."

"What's her name?" He secretly pointed at her since she was not looking. She was talking to another girl that seemed her age as well. Green skin and short red hair. Most definitely a Martian. Not his type.

Billy turned to where he was pointing, and laughed quietly, "She will crush you if you don't pay attention."

Lar Gand rolled his eyes. He could sense that she would be able to. Her arms weren't skinny, they were well built especially for her size. But that didn't not matter, "Her _name_."

"One of the last surviving Kryptonians in the whole galaxy," a man dressed up in black that looked like a bat walked up to him, "I'm Batman. You must be Lar Gand?" They shook hands, "Nightwing tells me you're a Prince."

" _Was_."

Batman nodded, "And I'm sorry about your parents. I know the feeling of losing both of them."

"Yeah, anyways," The Daxamite shrugged it off and held out the small cuboid chip that kept the map, "I believe this is what you are looking for? The Map?"

"Indeed it is," the Dark Knight nodded, "Come with me." He then tapped his earpiece, "Aqualad, Nightwing, Kid Flash, Miss Martian, Artemis, Supergirl. Gather in the meeting room."

"Copy that." The called Team members said in unison.

 _Supergirl?_ Lar Gand was in a space of deep thought.

"Lar Gand," Batman said, "Are you okay?"

"Sorry. I'm fine. Lead the way."

…

In the meeting room, M'gann stood in the corner silently with Kara and Artemis. Two years ago, when Kara joined the Team, M'gann detested against the decision, mainly because she felt that Kara was Conner's _replacement_. Luckily, Artemis managed to knock some sense into the Martian, who soon realized Kara was nothing of the sort. Eventually befriended each other, especially since Superman's disappearance.

"Nightwing, Kid Flash, you both already know Lar Gand," Batman noticed then turned to the others, "Team, this is Lar Gand, the former Prince of Daxam."

With this, the Team gossiped around each other.

The Daxamite waved, "Hi."

M'gann noticed he was looking at Kara. He smiled at her, while she blushed and weakly waved back at him. A hidden smirk was pasted on her face. _Reminds me of the day I met…_ She shook her head quickly for anyone to notice, trying to forget the past.

"Lar Gand has been retrieved by Alpha squad with information," Batman revealed, "Care to show us?"

"Of course," he said as he laid the small chip on the table, and pressed small buttons to activate the map, "Here you go."

A small circle opened in the chip as a needle-like tip escaped and opened a blue hologram of the map. It revealed all planets in the solar system as well as others in every galaxy. This included Daxam, Czarnia, New Genesis and their enemies, Apokolips.

"Wow." Artemis couldn't help but comment.

"But I really need to know, what do you need the map for?" Lar Gand asked, feeling almost rather impatient.

"It would be very rude of us if we didn't tell you," Batman said, "Earth has been in a vulnerable position for almost two years. And we, the Justice League, are struggling to keep the world safe from both itself and other beings who are likely to invade. That is why I tasked Alpha Squad to retrieve you and the map, so that we can find Superman before time runs out."

Lar Gand froze, causing Batman and the Team to look at him suspiciously, "S… Superman?"

"Yes. I'm assuming you have heard of him?"

"Of course I know him. _Everyone_ know about him," Lar Gand commented, "The only problem is: it's impossible to find him. The _entire_ galaxy – or universe even – is looking for him. _Expeditions_ , _Bounty Hunts_ , you name it. How do you guys think you'll ever find him?"

Batman grimaced. With this kind of information, it seemed dangerous as well if they were to find Superman.

"We haven't really given much thought on that," Wally mumbled before getting punched in the side by Artemis.

"And besides," the Daxamite added before looking at Supergirl, "Are you related to him in any way?"

"Cousin." Kara said.

"Well then… doesn't he have a _murderer for a son_?" He blurted, making everyone in the room look at him in disbelief, "What? Did I say something?"

" _Murderer for a son?_ What's that supposed to mean?" Artemis asked, "You mean Superboy? He's our friend"

" _Superboy_? That's what you guys call him?" He retorted, "Whatever he is now… it's not _super_ at all! And I highly doubt that you would still think him as your _friend_."

M'gann felt her heart racing to the point she wanted to ask him about Conner, "Then what do you know about him? You never knew him!"

"He's a _monster_!" Lar Gand shouted.

M'gann gasped briefly,

He breathed, "Look, I don't know what he was like before. But I can tell you now… _Conner_ is not the friend or person you once knew."

"What do you mean by _monster_?" Aqualad inquired.

"He's a killer," he said unevenly. Batman and the rest were shocked, "He slaughters innocents; men, women, even children."

They could not believe what they were hearing. _Superboy? Murderer? Monster? Eyes red as demons?_ _A slaughterer of innocent men, women, and children?_ There were so many questions they needed answering.

M'gann was uncomfortable and excused herself immediately, "I'm sorry. I have to go." She said as she floated away to find a quiet corner in the Watchtower to think to herself. _Conner… what did they do to you?_

…

 _ **That's all for now. I apologize if this is shorter than the first chapter, I just don't want to rush this time. The last thing I want is to disappoint you like how Transformers 2 disappointed us all. XD**_

 _ **Please review, follow and favorite if you'd like, and let me know what you all thought.**_

 _ **Have a great day/night.**_


	3. Lois's Article

_**All credit goes to Claudio Gopez who made this in the first place. You can find this on Blogspot.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**_

…

 _ **Chapter 3: Lois's Article**_

…

 _ **Why the World Doesn't Need Superman**_

 _ **By Lois Lane**_

We, at least as a city if not as a species, need to start getting used to the idea that Superman is never coming back.

He felt like a gift to mankind from Krypton, but in reality, he was just on loan to us.

Actually, he was probably more of a management consultant; he came in when things were going wrong, he showed us what we need to do to put things right and then he left for another contract.

He saved the world. He shaped it.

While I, as an individual who was lucky enough to spend time with Superman, will always be grateful for the things he did while on Earth, I am starting to believe that the world no longer needs Superman.

Those old enough to remember the time before Superman may think this a ridiculous notion, but let me put my case to you.

In the years Superman was active, crime in Metropolis and the rest of the world reduced to almost zero levels, save for the occasional Super Villain plot.

Police spending dropped dramatically and the money saved was, with great wisdom, instead plowed into new innovative education schemes.

These have helped keep crime levels low not just in the city but across the state as the governor followed the mayors lead and plowed money into education.

So while most people can recognize a direct correlation between Superman's presence and the plummeting crime levels, we also need to attribute our impressive levels of literacy and education to Superman's influence.

But should it take the threat of a man with unimaginable powers to achieve these changes?

Superman didn't change our DNA. At our core, we are still the same people we were before.

But what Superman did enable us to look beyond immediate concerns and look to the future.

He enabled us to examine the way we do things and to realize there may be better ways.

This may be the most important lesson Superman taught us.

That we shouldn't focus solely on solutions that might bring immediate results, that by taking a long term view, to be patient for results to emerge, we may finally go some way to dealing with the issues that seem too big to solve for our society.

Only then can we fulfill our potential.

Superman may be gone. He may not come back. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't feel his influence every day.

He has shown us the way and given us a taste of what we can achieve, and all that is required of us is the courage to embrace the new and to keep on this path even if results do not emerge immediately or at all.

Courage has never been being in short supply in Metropolis.

Superman wasn't the only hero in Metropolis; he was just the only one who could leap tall buildings in a single bound.

How much courage does it take to face an assailant knowing that however strong they are or whatever weapons they carry, they are unlikely to be able to scratch you, let alone harm you? How much courage does it take to run into a burning building, knowing the flames cannot harm the costume you wear, let alone your skin? How much courage does it take to stand up for others, to put yourself in harm's way to protect the innocent when you seem to be made of steel? Not much I would venture.

But how much courage does it take to face these challenges, when all you have to protect you is a vest made of Kevlar and a badge? A golden shield that represents all that our society stands for but wouldn't be much good at stopping a bullet?

All the courage in the world.

The world may have lost Superman, but it still has a handful of heroes who are already standing up for what is right and put their lives on the line for humanity.

The men and women of the Metropolis Police Department and Metropolis Fire Department may not get the headlines and front page pictures that Superman regularly received for his actions, but that doesn't mean they are any less deserving of our admiration.

In fact, I would suggest that they are more deserving of it because they are not Superman.

And the same goes for their equivalents in every city, town, and village in the world.

Why does the world not need Superman?

Because within each of us is a super man or woman already, but we can only realize this potential if we're willing to use it to help others and not ourselves.

We don't need to be able to stop a bullet if we make sure the bullet wasn't fired in the first place.

And we can only do that if we're willing to work together and embrace our differences, rather than let them separate us.

Superman once told me how his father described the human race:

 _"They can be a great people, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you... my only son."_

Superman has shown us the way, but that light has now passed to each and every one of us, especially the Justice League he had co-founded.

It is up to us how we use it…

…

 _ **I'm very positive this might enhance this story mainly because it can show how most of the world still needs a savior like Superman, while the others may believe they can do better (humans). And the Justice League are being shunned away because humanity thinks Superman inspires hope better than they could (not the case).**_

 _ **Please make sure to message me if you have any questions about the story.**_

 _ **Have a great day/night.**_


	4. Setting Course

_**I'm back. Please don't kill me…**_

 _ **I apologize for not posting in a LONG time. School and family are still very important. You guys understand that right?**_

 _ **Anyways, here it is. I hope you enjoy it.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.**_

…

 _ **Chapter 4: Setting Course**_

…

 _ **Watchtower**_

 _ **July 2, 15:44 UTC**_

"You're asking us to do this?" Kara Zor-El exclaimed. The original Team and Lar Gand were in the control room.

Batman nodded, "I am."

"But why us?" Nightwing asked another question.

"Because you're capable enough," the Dark Knight explained, looking at the original Team, minus Superboy, "The five of you have been on this Team since its very beginning. Experienced, and battle-hardened. I believe you can find Superman in time."

"Understood," Aqualad nodded, "When do we leave?"

"In three hours," Batman said, making everyone nod, "Gives all of you time to prepare if you need to."

"Are we using the Bio-Ship for this mission?" Miss Martian asked.

"No. The others members may need it for their missions," he explained, "Besides, no one in the Team knows the Daxam language."

Lar Gand quietly chuckled, putting on a light smile.

"Now dismiss," Batman lastly said.

The Team walked to different directions, going either to their homes or dormitories to pack.

…

 _ **3 Hours Later**_

…

 _ **With Aqualad**_

"Kaldur'ahm, you have no idea how proud I am," Aquaman spoke to his first apprentice.

Aqualad smiled, "I believe I have the right idea."

They shook hands.

"But may I request something of you?"

"Anything."

"My father, Black Manta," he said uncomfortably, "Is there any chance he would be welcomed into Atlantis once again?"

Aquaman stood silently for a moment, "I will see to it. After all, he did help us escape that day, two years ago."

"Thank you." He said, finally, before walking towards the Daxamite ship.

…

 _ **With Nightwing**_

"Are you ready?" Batman asked.

"You've been training me since I was ten," Nightwing reminded, "I'm ready."

Red Robin (Tim Drake), Batgirl and Robin said their good-lucks and long embraces.

…

 _ **With Artemis and Kid Flash**_

Artemis stayed in an embrace with Green Arrow.

"You okay, kid?"

She snorted, "I'm 22. Not a kid."

Oliver quickly smiled, "Do you want me to send anything to your family?"

"Just a message." She said as she pulled out something from her pocket. A white envelope that she handed to him.

Taking it, Oliver said, "Good luck out _there_."

"I will."

Green Arrow walked to join Black Canary as Kid Flash came up to Artemis.

"Ready, babe?" Wally held Artemis's hands tight, "Space might be tough on you."

Artemis chuckled, "Look, if I can handle _you_ , Mr. West, then I can handle space." She kissed his lips before she let go of his hands and walked into the Daxamite ship.

Wally stayed outside, thinking about what she said. His hands were still in the air, "What's wrong with _me_?"

"Nothing's wrong with you, kid." The Flash was standing right in front of him.

"You think so?"

"Yeah," Barry brought out a hand, "You're going into space, kid."

Wally sighed, "I know. But will be worth it?"

"How much faith you got?"

"I'm not sure."

"The more faith you got, I think you can make it out alive." They exchanged a hug before Wally noticed Dick and Kaldur walking together, holding two duffel bags each. Flash moved out of the way to join up with the other Leaguers.

"Guys?"

"What?" Dick was first to speak.

"What's wrong with _me_?"

Kaldur chuckled and walked in first. Dick smiled cheekily and patted Wally's shoulders, "You should know by now. _You_."

"But what does that mean!?" He exclaimed as he followed him inside.

…

 _ **With Miss Martian**_

"Be safe, M'gann." Martian Manhunter put his hand on top of M'gann's head.

She smiled, "Thank you, Uncle J'onn. I'll be fine."

"Good. I will send a message to your family back on Mars."

"That would be appreciated." Then Manhunter levitated and moved backward as M'gann started walking towards the ship.

But she was stopped by Beast Boy, who ran up to embrace his sister, "You'll be okay sis?"

The Martian smiled, kneeling down to place her soft hands on his shoulders, "Gar, I'll be fine. I grew up in Mars, so this shouldn't be a problem."

"Okay." He said, "And Conner?"

She stared blankly down at the floor and thought, _Conner_. It had been two years since the last time she saw him. And it wasn't even _him_. She saw a monster in the body of the boy she ever loved for the first time in her 55 years of life.

"I'm not so sure about _that_ ," she cleared her throat as she stood up, "Promise me you'll be good?"

Gar snickered and saluted at her, "I promise, ma'am."

"You'll take care of Wolf, Sphere _and_ the apartment while I'm gone?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good," she smiled and hugged him once more.

"But if you guys get Superman back, will we all start focusing on getting Conner back?" This was a question she could not answer. Reason being was because there was no direct answer to a question like this. What if they were already too late? What if Conner was fully corrupted into villainy? If she knew, then it would have made things so much easier. But everything was more complicated than it should have been.

"I hope."

…

The original Team had left as the Justice League and the rest of the Team oversaw their departure from the Watchtower. Once the Team went to do their missions, the League remained.

"You should have told them what they're up against _._ " Black Canary quietly scolded the billionaire.

"It wouldn't have made a difference." He retorted calmly.

"Batman is correct," Red Tornado spoke, "If the entire galaxy is searching for Superman… there is a high chance they will encounter _him_."

…

It seemed almost impossible to leave Earth, but they had no choice. The rest were still too inexperienced for something like this. Going into space could have felt like fun, but for this type of mission, they were going to hell. An analogy would say this was the dark web of outer space.

"Based on the map, we should check every corner of this galaxy," Lar Gand announced, putting the ship once again on auto-pilot.

"That will do best," Aqualad agreed, "Do you have the map?"

"Yeah, I do." The Daxamite pulled the chip out of his jean pockets, "These _jeans_ do come in handy."

Dick chuckled, "You're welcome."

"I mean, how do you come up with _these_?" He gestured to his blue jeans and red jacket.

"Well, us humans are… very _innovative_."

Lar Gand smiled, turning on the map, "And I am very impressed."

Once the map was shown up on the screen, they pinpointed their current location. Artemis looked up and spoke, "This is where we are right now. I just have one question."

"What is it?" Aqualad asked.

"Where do we start?"

They all looked at the map again, thinking of a course they could follow.

"How about all planets in the Alpha Centauri star system?" Lar Gand suggested, "It's consisted of four planets; Rann, Ekelon, Hebos, and Anthorran."

" _Rann_ ," Nightwing thought then turned to M'gann, "Miss M, you've been on Rann."

"Yeah, I've been there for a mission," she remembered her time there, "With Beast Boy and _Superboy_."

Lar Gand looked at her shocked.

M'gann corrected herself, "When we talk about him, it's about all the times before he became evil."

The Daxamites expression faded as he nodded, "Oh, sorry. Anyways, shall I set a course to Rann?"

"Yes," Aqualad said. Lar Gand went back into the cockpit and typed in coordinates.

"Alright, a course for Rann has been set."

"Great," Wally said.

Lar Gand then walked up to Wally, "This might not be the right time."

"What?"

"What is a _Death Star?_ "

The question made Wally crack a wide smile, "How long until we reach Rann?"

"It may take hours in hyperspace, why?"

Wally grinned harder, "I think that's all the time _I_ need."

Kaldur chuckled as Dick rolled his eyes, _Another victim. Great._

The girls sighed as they saw the Daxamite and Speedster walk towards the cockpit and seat on the opposite seats.

"How did 'Wally talks about Star Wars' do for you, Kara?" Artemis asked.

"To be honest… not so bad." Kara said with a quirky smile, making M'gann blinked multiple times and shocking Artemis.

The Martian spoke, "I can't believe this is happening."

"What do you mean?" Artemis questioned.

"We are doing this. Superman's gone, and _everyone_ is looking for him. Conner…" she choked on the name; it has been two years after all. She cleared her throat and spoke again, "Conner's now aligned with Apokolips. He's out there too, probably killing innocents right about now."

"Come on M'gann; you can't think that," Artemis attempted to rebuke her negativity, "What if he's unwilling?"

"No," the Martian whispered, "What we saw two years ago in that Reach Ship, was anything but unwilling."

…

 _ **Apokolips**_

 _ **July 2, 17:11 UTC**_

Apokolips burned like an ember around the darkness of space. Steppenwolf looked upon his home world and thought of the War World's destructive power. Could a weapon such as the War World destroy Apokolips? If it could destroy a city, then it could destroy an entire world.

But Mongul was his main problem through and through. Could his nephew _trust_ him? Trust him that he wouldn't turn this weapon against Apokolips? It seemed like a gamble if anything.

Landing near Darkseid's palace, he saw Granny Goodness and her Female Furies training. They seemed to take notice of his arrival.

"You're late." Granny Goodness said harshly with her deep voice, "Your nephew has been waiting for almost three hours."

"I believe that he is patient enough to wait." Steppenwolf walked towards the palace entrance, but noticed something about odd about the Female Furies; they were missing a notable member, Lashina.

Lashina was a young New God, not even past her 20s, and already above her potential. She was menacing, shows no mercy, but undeniably gorgeous.

"It seems your youngest member is absent?" The Apokoliptian military commander inquired.

"That's none of your business. Now go to your nephew!" She pointed at the palace entrance.

Without a single thought, Steppenwolf walked forward.

…

In the throne room, a tall figure awaited Steppenwolf's arrival.

"Uncle." Darkseid, ruler of Apokolips, greeted him with a nod.

Steppenwolf nodded back, "Nephew. You've been expecting me?"

"Yes. A report on the destruction of the Daxam Capital?"

"Success, I am glad, to say the least," Steppenwolf said, "However, and forgive me for this, but I don't trust your _friend_ , Mongul."

Darkseid began to study his uncle, looking at him directly in the eyes, "Don't trust him? That seems unsettling to me."

"No. Not unsettled. There are greater things to attend to. Such as finding your apprentice's father."

Darkseid laughed and asked, "Father? My _apprentice_? If anything, not only he is a ruthless fighter, he's _my_ son."

Steppenwolf was astonished, "You have adopted him?"

"Indeed. Now back to the real topic," Darkseid skipped, "You do not trust Mongul?"

"Not one bit, nephew. He wants something."

"He helped deliver the weapon we requested after years. But I understand what you mean. He has other motives?"

"Exactly. He wants an audience as well. To make certain that we understand its remarkable potential."

Darkseid went into deep thought. _Thinks he can play us? My friend, you are mistaken by a mile._

"Lashina is not here?" Steppenwolf commented, causing Darkseid to return.

"No."

"And your _son_?"

"They are both there," Darkseid pointed at a brand new, gigantic Apokoliptian vessel. Sleek, sharp like a tip of a dagger, but armed with the most dangerous weapons armed with Apokoliptian technology.

"Is that…" Steppenwolf had a grin on his face.

"Yes. The newest addition to our fleet. The _Yuga Khan_. Named to honor of my father." Darkseid said proudly, "Soon they will depart for one of the worlds that may hold some information as to where _Superman_ could be hiding."

"I see," Steppenwolf nodded, "Which planet have they set course for?"

Darkseid grinned evilly, "Rann."

…

 _ **There you have it for this chapter. It may be short, but I promise it will be longer for other chapters (we'll see).**_

 _ **What do you think about diving into more Apokolips stuff? Let me know what you think.**_

 _ **Have a great day/night.**_


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